WE’VE ALL SEEN THOSE late-night commercials informing us that, for the price of a cup of coffee per day, we can do something significant to change the world. I agree that it only takes a small amount to make a big difference, but I don’t think you have to give up coffee to change the world. In fact, I believe we can use the wonderful experience of drinking coffee and having great conversations to change the world. Why not have your coffee and drink it, too?

I think if pastors were granted three wishes, most of them would wish for more people, money and facilities. These seem to be the most common issues for pastors and church leaders. I believe an intentionally designed third place can be a solution to all three wishes. Consider the potential a café has to become a viable resource for a church. A café will not only help connect and keep people, but will also leverage the use of facilities and resources in such a way that it impacts the church, the community and the world.

The most common financial models that churches use for a café project are:

1. Investment with a negative cash flow 2. Investment with the goal to break even 3. Investment with a positive cash flow (Notice I didn’t list “expense.” If you view a café as an expense, don’t do it. You will never be satisfied. Cafés have amazing potential and, when intentionally designed, should produce a return on investment that is internal, external and eternal.)

INVESTMENT BLENDS

INVESTMENT WITH A NEGATIVE CASH FLOW

All churches should create café environments that will connect people and develop leaders. I always get asked, “How much is this going to cost me?” If we only focused on the cost and not the return on investment (ROI), I think many of us would be in a different place. We treat some ministry areas in the church as investments, knowing that we may not be able to track their financial returns. Some churches choose not to charge a price for coffee or specialty drinks and, in doing so, have decided to make an investment that will show a negative cash flow.

An example of a church that is OK with a negative cash flow is one that might give away all the drinks at no cost. You might ask, “How could a church do this and be a good steward?” This church has recognized that there are ways to see ROI that aren’t financial.

This church is counting on the connecting power of a cup of coffee and a conversation – the power to create relationships and to draw people who make the church their home and eventually contribute to the ministry of the church. This model is most common in churches that decide to provide only coffee and tea, rather than a full menu of specialty coffee drinks such as lattes, chai and smoothies. This is a positive approach for many smaller churches or church plants.

INVESTMENT WITH THE GOAL TO BREAK EVEN

I see many churches that want to have a café environment because they see the stickiness factor it can provide, but who are concerned about the cost (and would prefer not to charge for the coffee). I understand the balance that churches are trying to find in this model, and I’ve seen it work. Maybe what pastors are trying to say is, “We are not concerned with making a profit, but we’d like this not to cost us anything.” I find that it’s easier to make money and figure out good things to do with it than to work hard trying not to make money while charging a price for something. Many churches use the positive cash flow to fund ministries, local projects, church plants, missions and more. But the simple connecting power of a properly designed environment will create amazing returns in relationships, resulting in a healthier church.

I’m seeing more and more of these attempted. This setup has a café menu with pricing that is considerably lower than a local café, but high enough to cover the costs. I often see hybrid models of café menus in this scenario. By “hybrid menu,” I mean that black coffee is free, and prepared specialty drinks have a cost. Churches that choose this hybrid menu model may also choose to charge for black coffee when they are open during nonchurch-service times.

INVESTMENT WITH A POSITIVE CASH FLOW

I remember a pastor I worked for in California who said, “Michael, we’re nonprofit and good at it.” Of course I laughed, but we laugh most at the truth, not lies. I understand the nonprofit thing, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create a successful and sustainable ministry that results in a positive cash flow that we can, in turn, leverage to change the world around us.

This approach is my favorite of all the financial approaches when setting up a café. Let me start by saying that, while I know some are still apprehensive about the idea of selling coffee inside the church, I believe that the majority of people are OK with purchasing a coffee, latte or smoothie in a church. The problem might be that the Church doesn’t have the best reputation for brewing great coffee, and is often labeled as “cheap” when it comes to food and beverage. Those who believe that five pounds of coffee for $2 is good enough should probably just stop reading now. We are in a time and culture where people appreciate quality products and exceptional customer service. The Church has the ability – and, frankly, the responsibility – to do things with excellence. And that goes for the coffee they prepare and the way they deliver it.

With this model, churches can create environments where people naturally connect, leaders are developed as they find their gifts and serve with them, and positive cash flow is used to fund amazing local or even global ministries. This model has the greatest opportunity to leverage the popularity of coffee, the power of relationships and the potential of positive cash flow.

PLAN YOUR BLEND

It’s important that you decide before you start which investment blend you are going to serve in your café. If you just start building, buying and brewing without having a plan for the ROI, you are setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. Each church is unique in its approach to this. I recommend finding the one that best fits your church’s vision, feasibility and DNA.

A note to existing cafes: Imagine you had chance to start over again. Which model would you choose? Don’t think about the one you might be using right now, unless you are happy with it. Any church planning to build a quality café with quality drinks and exceptional customer service should have the opportunity to choose the model, rather than letting the model choose the café.

I’ve never seen a tool more powerful at connecting people than an intentional third place designed and implemented by people who have the ultimate competitive advantage. We must design and deliver with excellence. As I finish my third cup of the morning, there’s no way I’m going to advocate the removal of coffee from your life. I am, however, asking that you recognize coffee as a tool to connect people, develop leaders and fund ministries.